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‘Gadgets’ Stories

PS3 Production Experiences More Issues

Ewdison Then, Jul 14th 2006 Discuss [0]

More bad news for the upcoming Playstation 3 and anyone looking to buy one. Already hit by Cell processor yield problems, the companies manufacturing the new console are reportedly also having issues with the Blu-ray drives, which could lead to fewer launch units or a launch delay. In addition, the Cell processor yield issues previously reported have apparently not changed with time, with Sony only getting a 10-to-20 percent yield on their new processors. Read The Full Story

Nintendo Announces VoIP Headset for DS

Benjamin Nied, Jul 13th 2006 Discuss [0]

VoIP is one of the hottest technologies around today, and it hasn't escaped Nintendo's attention. Having already announced technology in the Wii-mote for possible VoIP capabilities, Nintendo has now announced a VoIP headset for their mega-popular Nintendo DS handhelds. Available from Amazon.co.uk, the headset will run you around $23 USD (£12.99), but requires a VoIP-capable game, like Metroid Prime: Hunters. Hopefully we'll see a few more VoIP-capable games by the headset's September 15th release date, because screaming at your friends during Metroid is only fun for so long. Plus, we're willing to bet that a homebrewed DS port of some sort of VoIP software will pop up eventually.... Amazon.co.uk Product Page [via Video Games Blogger]

Ninjapass: Play Homebrew on your DS!

Benjamin Nied, Jul 13th 2006 Discuss [0]

It's little things like this that make me glad to be a nerd. Say hello to the Ninjapass DS Flash system, a nifty little 64 MB card that sllows you to - GASP! - run homebrewed content on your Nintendo DS. While the PSP requires a number of firmware downgrades in order to allow for homebrew capabilities (though these downgrades admittedly don't cost anything unless you fry your PSP), the Ninjapass system just plugs into your Nintendo DS's slot and runs, requiring no modification to the actual system. Read The Full Story

Toshiba’s RD-A1 HD DVD Recorder Faces Delays

Benjamin Nied, Jul 13th 2006 Discuss [0]

Bad news for all you HD DVD buffs out there; Toshiba's RD-A1 HD DVD has ben delayed due to some production difficulties, postponing the launch of the new recorder until the end of the month. While a delay of a couple of weeks might not seem like much, anyone who plunked down $3,462.00 to acquire one is probably a little miffed that they won't be shipping on time. The delays could also be to combat firmware issues like the ones seen on the company's HD-A1 HD DVD player, which has been slammed as being unusable at times. Read The Full Story

Microsoft Trying to Sway iPod Accessory Makers

Benjamin Nied, Jul 13th 2006 Discuss [0]

Microsoft, the evil empire that could, is apparently trying to persuade iPod accessory makers to join the Dark Side; in this case, Microsoft is trying to convince them to make accessories for the upcoming Microsoft Zune as well. Similar to the iPod like, the Zune will feature its own expansion port (guaranteed to be compatible with nothing that looks remotely like it), but the kicker is that the new port will apparently allow companies to manufacture accessories for less money; this alone could sway several iPod accessory makers away from Apple into the realm of Microsoft. Read The Full Story

TripleWatch Cellphone Concept

Benjamin Nied, Jul 12th 2006 Discuss [3]

Those crazy guys over at Yanko Design have done it again, this time showing off Manon Maneenawa's 3-in-1 cellphone, wrist watch, and alarm clock. When folded up, the clock functions can be used as either a wrist watch (by inserting it into the wrist holster seen up on top) or a standalone alarm clock. By flipping the device's two panels open, a full-sized cell phone is revealed underneath. While this is merely a conceptual design, it's still intriguing, though the tendency to throw one's alarm clock out a window would need to be curbed to keep from trashing your cell phone too. It's unlikely that we'll ever see a cell phone like this (outside of some specialty stores like The Sharper Image), but if we do, will it come with EV-DO? [via Yanko Design]

Panasonic Adds 26-inch, 32-inch Viera LCD TVs

Benjamin Nied, Jul 12th 2006 Discuss [0]

In the world of HDTV, Panasonic is looking to be king. Having just announced their massive 103-inch 1080p HDTV a few days ago, the company has just taken the wraps off their new 26-inch and 32-inch Viera LCD HDTVs, both running at 1,366 x 768 (otherwise known as 720p) resolution. The sets feature a number of Panasonic technologies, such a Active Light Control and Active Contrast/Gamma Control, allowing for better picture quality and deeper colors. Read The Full Story

Sony Pulls “Racist” White PSP Ad

Ewdison Then, Jul 12th 2006 Discuss [0]

After rounds of racism accusations and outrage among the people of the world, Sony has opted to pull its controversial "PlayStation Portable White is coming" ads from the Netherlands, issuing the following apology to try and smooth things over with the offended citizens of the world:

"We recognize that the subject matter of one specific image may have caused concern in some countries not directly affected by the advertising. As a result, we have now withdrawn the campaign."

The ad had come under fire due to its supposedly racist undertones, which (as you can see above) shows a white "PSP" holding a black "PSP" by the chin. While Sony stopped short of admitting any wrongdoing, they have pulled the ads completely. So, now that this is all settled, the Netherlands can just focus on the upcoming PSP White, rather than the silly advertising. [via Reuters]

Black DS Lites Head to Japan

Benjamin Nied, Jul 12th 2006 Discuss [0]

The black DS Lite, the awesomest-looking version of Nintendo's gem of a handheld, is finally headed to Japan, where it will join the already-available colors of Polar White (what we got in the USA), Light Blue, Enamel Blue, and Pink. This means that the Japanese have an assortment of DS Lite colors to pick from, and we still only have Polor White. Phooey. Anyway, the black DS Lite will cost 16,800 yen ($145.00 USD) and will be available on September 2nd. So, if you've been waiting for a black DS Lite because Polar White isn't leet (1337) enough for you, now you can import one from Japan starting in September. No word on a US launch for the black DS Lite. [via Newlaunches]

E-rope, Pipedream sockets

Kevin Lee, Jul 11th 2006 Discuss [0]

The E-rope is designed by Chul Min Kang and Sung Hun Lim, is a modular power strip which can be twisted about to better accommodate cable gore with large, bulky plugs. It's just more safer and definately more better in looks. Buy one for your own use. [Via inhabitat]

Eurocom’s Alternative to DELL XPS line

Kevin Lee, Jul 11th 2006 Discuss [0]

This Eurocom model spots a 17-inch monitor, performing at 1920 x 1200 resolution. It comes with a dual core AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800 processor and nVIDIA GeForce Go 7800 GTX graphics card. This helps a lot in serious 3D performance, in terms of gaming and video. It also comes with DVD burner, 802.11a/b/g, DVI out, and 4-in-1 card reader. Only drawbacks for the laptop is the 5,200 RPM hard drive and 1GB of 200MHz DDR RAM, which does not make it faster than a DELL XPS. However, if you are budget concious and wouldn't mind carrying a 15-lbs laptop, this is certainly for you. [via MobilityGuru]

New Details on the Microsoft Zune

Benjamin Nied, Jul 11th 2006 Discuss [0]

Thanks to our compatriots over at the Gizmodo, we have some new details on Microsoft's upcoming Zune media player, including what to expect and which details are really just fantasy. As you know by now (and if you don't, come out from underneath that rock of yours), Microsoft's Zune media player is looking to take the iPod head-on for music/video player supremacy. Unlike other competitors that are trying to go head-to-head with the same feature set as the iPod, Microsoft is taking their player in a completely different direction, trying to outmaneuver the iPod with features lacking from Apple's players. Read The Full Story